daily flow?

[Guest vkjkj]

I am new here. I have three children 9, 6, 4. I have always homeschooled. However, I find that our school day is very long because I work with each child individually and then I have to track the others down when it is their turn etc.

 

I know many people sit all the kids down together and work individually or together. How do you get them to stay there, not yell at each other when it isn't their turn etc.?

 

My 9 yr o is a great reader, but not a great writer.

6 yr o is still learning to read

4 yr o mostly picks things up from brothers. He listens in on school sometimes, asks me questions and asks for school, but trying to do a lesson even for two minutes is a not easy. His mind seems to be working and he can't focus on anything else. Sometimes I know what he is working a way at and sometimes I don't.

I look forward to hearing your ideas. Thanks.

[abbeyej]

I think a lot of it just has to be you finding your own rhythm... If my children suddenly vanished and were replaced by the children you describe ;), here's what I would try to begin with...

 

Find a ritual in which everyone participates to start the day. While I haven't done a good job with it this year, when my kids were younger, Memory Time was best for this for us. We all worked on the same memory work: poetry mostly, sometimes facts (history, science, etc), we'd sing a few folk songs... It's a good time for scripture memory, or for small ones, "survival memory" (full name, address, family phone numbers)... Make it pleasant, gear it mostly towards the older end of your age range. Have fun with it and let it be the thing you all do together.

 

It could be something else, of course -- family devotionals, a brief daily read-aloud...

 

Then have *something* each of the older two can work on semi-independently to start with. That's when you grab the 4yo and do your 2 minutes of lessons. ;) Think about it in terms of establishing a habit, if nothing else. Try to set appropriate expectations, so you aren't frustrated. At four, he doesn't *need* to accomplish much academically, but he does need to feel like he's a part of the family structure. So do two minutes of phonics and two minutes of counting and playing with math manipulatives and call it good. ;) After that, I'd just set up a series of shoe boxes or files with activities he can do on his own (Montessori resources are good for this, or Preschoolers and Peace, etc). Only let him have one box at a time, so he's not overwhelmed by possibilities and you're not overwhelmed by sheer chaos. ;)

 

So, you've now spent 2-4 minutes with the 4yo, and it's taken you 10-15. ;) Hopefully the other two have had *something* they could do individually for that amount of time. ;) Maybe. ;)

 

So check in with the 9yo briefly. "Doing great. You know what you need to work on next?" Now do a lesson with the 6yo. Probably phonics, since it sounds like that may be the toughest, most teacher-intensive subject for him now. After the lesson is finished, set 6yo up on something he can do on his own for a little while.

 

(Just realized you didn't say they're all boys. Insert appropriate pronouns where necessary!)

 

And check in with the 9yo for her first major lesson. At this point, you'll need to have done a little strategizing ahead of time. What can the 6 and 9yos do alone? What can they did with a little direction (that sort of thing works for me to be positioned halfway between two kids and go back and forth answering questions), and what do they need to do directly with you as teacher? If you find you're stuck with gaps while you work with one child and not the other, consider assigning the non-working child to do something specific with the 4yo...

 

I guess what I'm saying is that ultimately it comes down to a little planning and knowing what your own kiddos can do and how much they need you...

 

Working specific routines in helps too. Dressed and chores. Breakfast. Memory time. Lessons. 1/2 hour educational dvd (say, La Clase Divertida or ...) while you make lunch. Lunch. Everybody listens to read-alouds on the couch. Quiet time for littles while you do school with the oldest... ... Or whatever works.

 

Good luck! :)

[mom2boys030507]

My boys are 7, 5 and 3. We have the following routine. Get dresses, eat breakfast, go get school books. My boys each have a drawer and they get out their own school books daily, I just make sure the work is in there. My oldest typically starts with spelling or math. My middle starts with math and my youngest does a page in his preschool book - coloring, tracing the line or works with math manipulatives sorting by color or size or just playing. We all work at the kitchen table. I am there to work with the older two as they have questions and to keep them on task. Once my 3 year old is done at the table, he is allowed to go play quietly or "read" a book. At this point, I get my oldest started on his grammar which we read together then he works on indepently. Then my middle and I go work on his reading.

 

Things don't go smoothly all the time but with some flexiblity we make it work. I try to make sure that the my 3 year old has different activities to do through out the week and at times he can watch some TV. My boys work at the table or on the couch with me until we are done. The majority of our day takes about 2 hours. My oldest does his indepentant reading and some narrations in the afternoon during our daily quiet time. We do read alouds in the afternoon or at bedtime. So, our morning routine consists of math, spelling, grammar, reading instruction, copywork, history/science.

[Mallory]

Are you chasing them down between each subject?

 

Mine are always long gone too, but I start with the youngest and work up, getting all their subjects done with me before moving on.

 

I don't do school with my 4 yos, but at those ages our day would go something like this-

 

Breakfast, cleaning up the kitchen as you finish.

 

When everyone is done we will do a group subject (drawing, or many do bible first).

 

Then I do all the 4yo- the most would be 5 min phonics, 5 minutes math, 5 minutes handwriting. The older ones could read (or at least look at books for the 15 min it will take to get done with the 4yo).

 

4yo is free (my two littles do have sort of a workbox system of activites to keep them busy during school- math manipulatives, magnet letters, stencils, workbooks, etc.). Do all the 6yos school, again this wouldn't be much more then 30 min for us- some math, phonics, and handwriting. 9 yo would keep reading or entertain 4yo.

 

4yo and 6yo go play. Then do school with 9yo. Even if you can only get 45 min or an hour of work from him, school should be mostly done.

 

When he has had enough doing school, give everyone a break until lunch- including yourself!

 

Make lunch and round them all up again. After lunch finish any group subjects.

[Alicia64]

For practical "tricks" I. . .

 

1) Put one on Starfall.com w/ headphones and work with the other. I have twins but one is "ahead" and one is "behind" so when one is having fun on Starfall (at the table w/ us) I can give the other boy individual attention.

 

Then I switch them. They see the Starfall time as a treat and I have the added bonus that they don't disappear on me.

 

2) In my better years I was "so against" this idea but when I heard Susan Wise Bauer do it, I stopped being so high and mighty and just did it. . . I bribe them with chocolate kisses or a Magic School Bus dvd or a piece of cake to do their lessons well. (And they enjoy the challenge I've noticed.)

 

I'm super nutrition conscious so, at first, this idea repelled me, but -- hey -- it works. End of story. I don't do it all the time so when I do do it, it's special.

 

3) When I'm working w/ one I first give the other his "marching orders." Usually I have the one I'm not working with doing silent reading nearby.

 

Or the one not doing lessons does his/her chores.

 

But I don't want to leave you w/ the impression that they're perfect and these methods work perfectly (they don't). But bribing w/ cake goes a long way!

 

Alley

[Joyofsixreboot]

For practical "tricks" I. . .

 

1) Put one on Starfall.com w/ headphones and work with the other. I have twins but one is "ahead" and one is "behind" so when one is having fun on Starfall (at the table w/ us) I can give the other boy individual attention.

 

Then I switch them. They see the Starfall time as a treat and I have the added bonus that they don't disappear on me.

 

2) In my better years I was "so against" this idea but when I heard Susan Wise Bauer do it, I stopped being so high and mighty and just did it. . . I bribe them with chocolate kisses or a Magic School Bus dvd or a piece of cake to do their lessons well. (And they enjoy the challenge I've noticed.)

 

I'm super nutrition conscious so, at first, this idea repelled me, but -- hey -- it works. End of story. I don't do it all the time so when I do do it, it's special.

 

3) When I'm working w/ one I first give the other his "marching orders." Usually I have the one I'm not working with doing silent reading nearby.

 

Or the one not doing lessons does his/her chores.

 

But I don't want to leave you w/ the impression that they're perfect and these methods work perfectly (they don't). But bribing w/ cake goes a long way!

 

Alley

 

My system is very much like the one above. They both do math together to start the day. DD gets to go play something educational on the computer while I work with ds on his LA, then he gets his turn while I work with dd on her LA. She then reads to me while I send ds off to do his reading alone. I tried to combine science but it didn't work well. I read science to my first grader while ds goes off to read his alone. We come back together to hear AO readings and work on history. Fun projects usually get moved to afternoon. The three year old listens in, plays and get into stuff. I read to her during snack time for the other two. Read alouds happen at lunchtime together and they each have a separate 'fun' book I read them at night.

[RootAnn]

My oldest three are 9, 7, & 4. So, I'm right there with you.

 

My 9 yr old doesn't like to write but read great. My 7 yr old is still in the 'beginning reader' stage. My 4 yr old doesn't do a whole lot of 'school' stuff - mostly crafts & filling in workbooks (from the store) for fun.

 

Things that help me:

I have a schedule - with times on it. We mostly stick to it.

I have my 9 yr old doing "assigned" or "free" reading when I need to be working with the 7 yr old. Or, she has 15 minutes of practicing the piano or doing some short (15 min) activity by herself --> Sometimes that is a grammar workbook, map skills workbook, some sort of flashcard review, etc.

I let my 7 yr old draw/color (her fav. activity) or play with special "school only stuff" in the school area -- at our table when I'm working with the 9 yr old.

I sit near both when they are working on the "same subject" (math, spelling, etc.) so I can answer questions from both.

 

We also combine history/science/religion/Latin/geography/memorization in the afternoon with the kids working on the same subject together with mom. I just require more from the older one. (For example, in Latin, the older one has to write everything. I write for the younger one & she doesn't have a workbook that she has to do the exercises in, she does them orally with me while older sister does them written by herself.)

 

Not everything will work with all kids. Some things I can't do with mine might work with yours. Good luck!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We've used a MOTH schedule ever since by current 1st grader was 2. Some things that have been consistent from year to year are:

 

1. Rotating between the kids. For example, I start math with the oldest, then the 4th grader and move on to phonics with my 1st grader at 8:30. Because my first grader's work is scheduled for 30 minutes but generally only takes 20 most days I can sneak in 5 or 10 minutes of playing with the 2yo as well.

 

2. Checksheets. Both my girls have checksheets listing all of their assignments for each day of the week. They know which can be done independently and which they have to wait for me. The general rule is that if they get ahead then they can choose to read or play until it's time to work with Mom again.

 

3. Assigning one of the kids to play with the youngest at a specific time each day. This keeps my toddler from feeling left out, and he really looks forward to playing one on one with his siblings.

 

4. Setting aside a specific time each day to read to or play with the youngest. With my older son, I used to read to him in the morning after I got his sisters started on their math. Knowing that he has a set time with Mom each day has helped both my boys not to be constantly underfoot looking for attention while I'm trying to teach someone else.

 

HTH

[Mallory]

2. Checksheets. Both my girls have checksheets listing all of their assignments for each day of the week. They know which can be done independently and which they have to wait for me. The general rule is that if they get ahead then they can choose to read or play until it's time to work with Mom again.

 

:iagree:

My school aged kids all have thier own checklists too!

[brownie]

Mine are 10, 8 and 5. We start with math. It lasts an hour. DS10 gets 10 minutes of lesson time with me. DS5 then usually gets his 15 minutes in with me and ds8 is quite independent in math so I answer questions as needed. When a lesson is needed, I plan for it.

 

Then we move onto spelling grammar and vocab which are all independent and workbook based. DS5 does his handwriting and FLL with me during this time. We have snack and memory work, maybe a read aloud (often a picture book ds5 will enjoy that I use to point out literary devices or a simple science book). After piano for 1 and writing for the other, I send them to their room to read for 20 minutes so that ds5 and I can do HOP. Then he's free for the day if he wishes. He often chooses to sit in on history and science but he doesn't have to.

 

I don't mind recollecting ds5...I'm pretty low key with him. I do keep a lot of crafts around for ds5 so when things are going smoothly he likes to sit next to me and 'work'. But I get frustrated herding the 8 and 10 year olds. Usually this is only an issue if I dare to answer the phone!

 

Brownie

[kmacnchs]

Mine don't do much school but here are some suggestions anyway:

 

write down all the individual things each child CAN do and have them do those things while you work with the others.

 

have special things two of them can do together while you work with the other.

 

some things mine can do on their own - roomtime (1 hr/day), Starfall.com, Spanish website w/games, etc., crafts, Math facts, Math wksht/homework, spelling work, and my oldest & youngest play special games for 30 min while I work w/the middle one

 

during afternoon rest time, work w/one while others rest - if this doesn't work b/c you need your rest as well make sure you only work 30 min or so w/each so you and they will still get some rest in

 

home some of that helps! I am ULTRA organized and try to fit in school anywhere I can during the day so it seems to the kids as though we don't do very much even though we get it all in.